Redding's Public Conduct: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles public conduct a little differently. In Redding, California, there are 7 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

Skateboarding Rules

Redding Municipal Code Section 13.12.070 bans bicycling, roller skating, and skateboarding in any public area that is conspicuously posted against those activities, and the same ban reaches privately owned property open to the public once the owner posts notice and files a consent-to-enforcement form with police.

Key details: Governing section: RMC § 13.12.070. Covered activity: Bicycling, skating, skateboarding in posted areas. Private-property trigger: Posted notice + police consent form. Disability exemption: Mobility devices always allowed. Default penalty: Misdemeanor, up to $1,000/6 months.

Chapter 13.12 does not set its own fine schedule for Section 13.12.070, so a violation falls under the code's general penalty in Section 1.12.010: a misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000 and up to six months in county jail unless the city attorney reduces the charge to an infraction, which carries escalating fines of $100, $200, and up to $500 under Section 1.12.020.

Public Urination

It is unlawful in Redding to urinate or defecate on any public or private road, exposed private property, or public property not designated for that purpose, under RMC § 9.04.060, though a person with a verified medical condition is expressly exempt from enforcement.

Key details: Covers: Public/private roads, exposed private property. Medical exemption: Verified medical condition exempts enforcement. Adopted: Ord. 2337 § 2, 2004. Default penalty: Misdemeanor, up to $1,000 fine, § 1.12.020.

Depositing urine or feces on a public or private road, on public property not set aside for that purpose, or on exposed or publicly accessible private property violates § 9.04.060(A), unless the person qualifies for the verified-medical-condition exemption in § 9.04.060(B). Because Chapter 9.04 sets no special fine, the general penalty in § 1.12.020 applies: a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000 fine and six months in county jail, unless reduced to an infraction with escalating fines of $100, $200, or $500.

Loitering Rules

Redding Municipal Code § 10.18.020 bans loitering or standing on any street, sidewalk or building entrance in a way that blocks pedestrians, and separately bans loitering in parks or public areas to harass someone, drink without a permit, or let a minor smoke. Violators face escalating fines under § 10.18.030.

Key details: Governing section: Redding Municipal Code § 10.18.020. Obstruction ban: No blocking sidewalks, streets or building entrances. Park-specific ban: No loitering to harass, drink, or let a minor smoke. First offense fine: Up to $100 infraction (§ 10.18.030). Third offense: Misdemeanor within 5 years of first violation.

Redding Municipal Code § 10.18.030 punishes a first violation of § 10.18.010 or § 10.18.020 as an infraction with a fine up to $100. A second violation of the same section within one year raises the fine to $200. A third violation of the same section within five years of the first becomes a misdemeanor rather than an infraction.

Aggressive Panhandling

Redding Municipal Code § 10.19.020 makes it unlawful to solicit, ask or beg in an aggressive manner anywhere in the city, and § 10.19.010 defines six specific behaviors, from blocking a sidewalk to using threatening language, that turn ordinary panhandling into a chargeable offense.

Key details: Governing section: Redding Municipal Code § 10.19.020. Defined term: 'Aggressive manner' listed in § 10.19.010. Extra buffer zones: 15 feet from banks, ATMs (§ 10.19.030). Parking structure curfew: No soliciting 1/2 hour after sunset to sunrise. Default penalty: Misdemeanor, up to $1,000 fine or jail (§ 1.12.020).

Chapter 10.19 does not set its own fine schedule, so a violation of § 10.19.020 or § 10.19.030 falls under the citywide default in Redding Municipal Code § 1.12.010: it is a misdemeanor unless the offense is classified as an infraction or the city attorney reduces the charge. Under § 1.12.020, a misdemeanor conviction carries a fine of up to $1,000, up to six months in county jail, or both; an infraction is fined up to $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second within a year, and $500 for a third.

Compared to other cities, Redding takes a harder line on aggressive panhandling. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Outdoor Smoking Restrictions

Redding Municipal Code § 10.20.080 bans smoking any substance, tobacco, marijuana or vapor, in or upon any city park facility, and separately makes it an infraction to leave smoking material on park grounds or refuse to put it out when a city official or officer asks.

Key details: Governing section: Redding Municipal Code § 10.20.080. What's banned: Smoking any substance, incl. tobacco, marijuana, vapor. Covers: Every city park facility and the Civic Auditorium grounds. Separate infraction: Refusing to extinguish or littering smoking material. First-offense fine: Up to $100 (§ 1.12.020 default).

Redding Municipal Code § 10.20.200 enforces the park smoking ban criminally under Chapter 1.12, administratively under Chapters 1.13 through 1.15, or by civil action filed by the city attorney in Shasta County Superior Court. Section 10.20.080(B) singles out the littering and refuse-to-extinguish violation as its own infraction, which under the citywide default penalty in § 1.12.020 carries a fine of up to $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second within a year, and $500 for a third.

Compared to other cities, Redding takes a harder line on outdoor smoking restrictions. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Loud Party Ordinance

Anyone who controls a premises where a minor drinks alcohol or uses a controlled substance is liable under Redding's social host law, facing civil or administrative fines of $250, $500, then $1,000 per additional offense, plus the city's full public safety response costs.

Key details: Trigger: Minor consumes alcohol or drugs at a party. Fines: $250 first, $500 second, $1,000 after that. Cost recovery: Host billed for full public safety response. Criminal liability: None; civil/administrative only, § 9.01.070. Warning: Required before first penalty, § 9.01.040(C).

Hosting, permitting, or failing to stop a party where a minor consumes alcohol or drugs triggers a civil or administrative penalty of $250 for a first offense, $500 for a second, and $1,000 for each offense after that, plus full reimbursement of the city's police, fire, and code enforcement response costs. A warning is required before the first penalty, and the city attorney may sue to recover unpaid costs and penalties, including attorneys' fees, under § 9.01.060.

Compared to other cities, Redding takes a harder line on loud party ordinance. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Public Alcohol Use

Redding Municipal Code Section 10.25.010 bans drinking or carrying an open container of alcohol on public streets, sidewalks, parks, and other public property, and extends the ban fifty feet onto private property visible from those areas unless the owner consents. Permitted park events, sidewalk dining, and licensed special events are exempted.

Key details: Governing section: RMC § 10.25.010. First offense: Infraction, up to $100. Third offense (5 yrs): Misdemeanor. Buffer zone: 50 feet from public right-of-way. Exemptions: Permitted park, dining, special events.

A first violation of Section 10.25.010 is an infraction carrying a fine of up to $100 under Section 10.25.020. A second violation within one year raises the infraction fine to $200, and a third violation within five years of the first becomes a misdemeanor, exposing the violator to county jail time and a fine under the code's general misdemeanor penalty.

This is one of the stricter rules in Redding's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

The Bottom Line

Redding is tougher than many cities when it comes to public conduct. Out of the 7 rules covered here, 4 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Redding, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

This guide is based on Redding's current municipal code. Local rules can and do change, so check the individual ordinance pages for the latest details, penalties, and FAQs.